Summary
- Many international airlines proceed to operate flights to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport despite the high safety risk from the continued conflict in Israel.
- The Qassam Brigades, a military wing of Hamas, has declared Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) as a goal and threatened to launch rockets at it.
- Regulators just like the FAA and EASA haven’t imposed significant restrictions, leaving it as much as individual airlines to evaluate the risks and plan accordingly. El Al, the Israeli flag carrier, stays fully operational.
On the heels of the conflict in Israel that has arisen previously few days, many have begun to query the protection of still having international flights arriving in what’s now an lively war zone. The airspace is currently categorized as the very best level of unsafe, and for a lot of, chilling images of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17—which was shot down over a conflict zone in Ukraine—have come to mind.
Nonetheless, many international airlines have persevered, with Air Serbia, Turkish carrier Pegasus, Bulgaria Air, Czech carrier Smartwings, and Uzbek flag carrier Uzbekistan Airways all having international flights land at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) on the morning of 9 October 2023. In keeping with official data published by the Israel Ministry of Transportation, over half of the 70 airlines operating within the nation are still flying.
A posh and rapidly evolving situation
While the conflict in the realm has erupted, special concern should be paid to Tel Aviv’s major airport, with Hammas’ military wing, The Qassam Brigades, declaring Ben Gurion Airport as an official goal. Specifically, the group indicated that they’d attack the airport with rockets on the morning of 9 October.
Photo: Boeing
This, alongside the news of rockets being launched by Hezbollah into Israel from Southern Lebanon on 8 October, encouraged airspace safety watchdog organization OPS Group to issue a “Do Not Fly” warning for Israeli airspace. Nonetheless, carriers have persevered, and OPS Group, alongside others within the industry, has grown increasingly concerned. The last time a “Do Not Fly” warning was violated, Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, a Boeing 737-800 flying from Tehran to Kyiv, was shot down over Iran, killing all 176 people onboard.
What have the regulators done?
To this point, little or no regulation has come from the important thing bodies tasked with ensuring the protection of airspace. Each the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have yet to issue any meaningful restrictions. Surprisingly, the Russian aviation authority is the one one which has taken any considerable motion, banning all night-time flights to the conflict zone and requiring all flights to and from Russia to take off and arrive after 9 AM.
EASA did release a Conflict Zone Information Bulletin (CZIB), which does not detail any specific restrictions. In keeping with the statement, it’s on individual airlines to perform their very own risk assessment measures, articulated as such:
“Airline operators are advised to make sure that a solid risk assessment and a high level of emergency planning are in place for his or her flight operations and to be prepared for short-term instructions from the Israeli authorities.”
Who continues to be flying to Israel?
Many international airlines have canceled operations to Tel Aviv in the interim, corresponding to United Airlines, which canceled its flights from Newark, Chicago-O’Hare, San Francisco, and Washington-Dulles. Nonetheless, the Israeli flag carrier, El Al, continues to fly long-haul at normal capability.
Photo: Benthemouse/Shutterstock
El Al is probably going the most important goal for violence because of its alignment as Israel’s national carrier, and the airline currently accounts for over 30% of traffic in Israeli airspace. Notably, the carrier’s operations primarily serve to repatriate Israeli residents who’ve been called up for military service and to assist those hoping to flee the country escape.